Poison for Breakfast

One day, Lemony Snicket finds a puzzling note pushed under his door and is forced to follow a winding trail of clues to solve the mystery of his imminent death. But this is so much more than just a mystery. Along the way, he tackles some of the key questions about life. Who was Korla Pandit what did he do and what was his real name? What are the three absolute rules for writing a book? Why should you never judge a goat by the way it looks? And why does being clumsy have its benefits? For over twenty years, Lemony Snicket has led millions of young readers through a world of bewildering questions and strange, unfortunate events. In this, his latest book, a love letter to the young and the young at heart, he takes us on a thought-provoking tour of his own predilections. Long-time fans and new readers (Who are you? Where have you been?) will fall in love with this "true" story, told in a way that only Lemony could tell it. You might even learn some important life-lessons like how DO you cook the perfect egg?

‘Reading this little book feels like opening a window to let in air and light. It’s filled with curious information and powerful feelings, and is humorous, sad, meditative and rapturous by turns – with ambiguous questions to be mulled and savoured.’

-- Guardian

‘A wittily macabre treatise about philosophy, creativity, connectivity, gratitude and bravely facing one’s demise while living as well as possible in the meantime.’

-- Financial Times

‘a genial, discursive ramble of a book… The tone throughout is Vonnegutian – bewildered, amused, quizzical – and if the book fails to deliver any startling philosophical breakthrough, that’s rather the point, since it’s more about the journey than the destination. A bit like life, then.’

-- James Lovegrove FT

‘Poison for Breakfast is a strange, beguiling, beautiful book. No one else could have written it, or anything even a little like it. If Lemony Snicket didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.’

-- Anthony McGowan, author of Lark

‘Poison for Breakfast is a book to savour. Every sentence is perfectly balanced to surprise, delight, intrigue and, yes, bewilder the reader. A book about impending death which captures the simple, but profound, joys of being alive. I am a long-time Lemony Snicket fan and this is his best yet.’

-- Sarah Hagger-Holt, author of Nothing Ever Happens Here

‘Witty, clever and unsettling – it’s Lemony Snicket at his finest, and bright minds that love dark delights will gobble it right up.’

-- Rachel Delahaye, author of Mort the Meek

‘Poison for Breakfast is a murder mystery like no other, which will bewilder and beguile both children and adults alike. It’ll have you questioning everything – from whether or not you can outrun death, to even bigger questions such as whether or not you are choosing the most respectable method to cook your eggs each morning.’

-- Hana Tooke, author of The Unadoptables

‘Full of Snickety goodness, philosophical acrobatics and wry wit. A veritable treasure trove for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events.’

-- Gareth Osborne, Bath Children's Novel Award Winner

‘Poison for Breakfast is a delicious read with sentences to savour and philosophical questions to keep you awake long past midnight snack-time... It’s diabolically good.’

-- Jack Meggitt-Phillips, author of The Beast and the Bethany

‘Fans who have grown up with his novels may appreciate the opportunity to explore [Lemony Snicket’s] mind.’

-- Books for Keeps

Lemony Snicket is the internationally bestselling author of the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events; several picture books, including The Dark and The Bad Mood and the Stick; and the books collectively titled All the Wrong Questions. His work has sold 80 million copies worldwide.

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